


The Only Reason

by Kitschisme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Post-Break Up, Reconciliation, There Is Plot But Definitely Also Porn, god they are so in love, smutty smut smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-16 01:50:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13626033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitschisme/pseuds/Kitschisme
Summary: Jughead Jones sat at a table in the Riverdale High cafeteria; his posture slouched over a book, crown beanie pulled low, a wave of dark hair falling in his eyes, which today were a stormy shade of blue. He was alone, and that was how he liked it. Or how he used to like it, anyway. What felt like a long time ago, before everything changed.Before he fell in love. Or, more accurately, before he fell in love, and then subsequently fucked everything up with Betty Cooper.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> This is my first post on AO3 and my first fic written for the Riverdale fandom. But I am shipping Bughead so hard that I just had to write this. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> In-universe. Multiple character POV. Set post episode 2x08.
> 
> Rated M for language, drinking & recreational drug use, and eventual smutty goodness.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Additional chapters forthcoming :-)

Jughead Jones sat at a table in the Riverdale High cafeteria; his posture slouched over a book, crown beanie pulled low, a wave of dark hair falling in his eyes, which today were a stormy shade of blue. He was alone, and that was how he liked it. Or how he used to like it, anyway. What felt like a long time ago, before everything changed.

Before he fell in love. Or, more accurately, before he fell in love, and then subsequently fucked everything up with Betty Cooper.

It had been two weeks since their break-up; two weeks since he had walked away from the one good thing in his life, from the only person he had ever truly cared about.

Even for Jughead, who had learned from experience to constantly prepare himself for things to fall apart, for the floor to bottom out from under him at any given moment, it was truly astonishing how quickly everything had gone to shit.

It was hard to believe that just several weeks ago he was the happiest he’d ever been in his entire life. He had told Betty he loved her. And, by some miracle, she had said she loved him back. Upon hearing the words he had kissed her forcefully, slamming her up against his kitchen cabinets, trying wordlessly to convey every ounce of what he felt for her.

For a single, blissful moment he allowed himself to live in a world where the perfect girl next door could fall in love with the weird loner boy from the wrong side of the tracks; a world where they could live happily ever after.

The irony wasn’t lost on him that their moment had been interrupted by the Serpents. The moment he put on that jacket, somewhere deep in his bones he knew he had irrevocably changed things between them, even if he didn’t want to admit it. So instead he lied, to both Betty and himself. From that moment forward, it seemed like every force in the universe was conspiring to keep them apart.

He should have known it wasn’t possible to live two separate lives. He should have known the situation would eventually implode.

And it did, at the Whyte Wyrm.

Betty’s strip tease had shocked everyone. She had done it for him, to be a part of his world with the Serpents; and as much as he loved her for it, it also terrified him.

Watching her up on that stage had been mesmerizing. She had looked so happy and confident, so unbelievably dark and _sexy_ ; she looked like she belonged. He could only imagine the guts it took for her to do it, to publicly shed her good girl image, and it filled him with pride. He wanted her there, by his side.

But watching the other Serpents’ reactions, their hungry eyes ravaging over her body, served as a harsh reminder that these were dangerous people who occasionally did very bad things. It had filled him with a fierce protectiveness that made him want to hide her, cover her up, whisk her away and get her as far from them, from that world, from _his_ world, as possible.

On top of that, Penny Peabody’s words at Pop’s still haunted him. “Your girlfriend, Betty Cooper? All snakes have a soft underbelly; she’s yours.”

The unveiled threat had rattled him to his core. It was one thing for her to threaten Jughead, or FP, but to threaten Betty crossed a line. He would do anything to protect her, to keep her safe, even if that meant letting her go. But Jughead would have been lying if he said that walking away from her wasn’t the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Of the myriad ways Jughead felt life had already left him broken, leaving Betty standing alone in that parking lot - eyes full of tears, hands clutching at his jacket, begging him to stay - had shattered him in a way he had not known was possible.

It had been easier for him to carry on with some semblance of living when he was on the Southside, keeping himself occupied writing for the Red & Black. But now that he was back at Riverdale High, now that he had to see her every single day… It was like ripping open those wounds, pouring salt on them, and then dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself on fire – which, if he was being honest, would have been preferable.

It was no consolation whatsoever that Betty looked like she wasn’t faring any better. On the surface, she looked as she always did. Impeccably dressed, hair and makeup perfect, not a strand out of place. She wore her usual smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Those green eyes, which were normally so bright and alive, now looked dull. They had the faintest trace of dark circles under them. She looked exactly how he felt - Empty, hollow. Miserable.

Despite his good intentions, Jughead knew he had been the cause of her misery. And he hated himself for it.

His self-deprecating thoughts ended abruptly when Archie slid onto the seat next to him. “Hey. How are you doing, man?”

“Great,” Jughead muttered. _Please just fucking kill me._

The red headed boy followed his gaze to where Betty sat with Kevin, Cheryl and Veronica. “You should just talk to her, you know?” he said, lightly nudging Jughead’s shoulder. “She misses you, too.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m the last person Betty wants to talk to right now,” Jughead said bitterly, picking at the table’s worn surface.

“You guys have something really good together,” Archie pressed. “Something worth fighting for. It’s not too late to fix this.”

Jughead sighed, all the frustration and anger he felt suddenly rising to the surface. “I don’t know how to fix things, Archie,” he snapped, temper flaring. “Haven’t you figured that out by now? I only know how to break them. It’s what I’m good at.”

Archie’s hazel eyes were sad. “Jug…” he began, but he was interrupted by Veronica standing up on her lunch table, heeled booties clicking against the bench. She cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention.

“Announcement!” Veronica called in a shrill, clear voice that echoed across the cafeteria. “Party at my house this Friday night. Everyone is invited!” There was a round of cheers and applause and a ripple of hushed whispered excitement. Jughead rolled his eyes.

“That’s my cue,” he muttered sardonically, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder. “I’m out. See you later.”

He kept his head down as he left the cafeteria, not daring to look up - knowing that if he did he might find a too-familiar pair of green eyes watching him go.

\--

Betty Cooper sat eating lunch with her friends. She was half listening to Cheryl and Veronica talk about cheer practice, a smile of vaguely polite disinterest plastered on her face. Meanwhile, in her mind there was a constant loop of agonized internal screaming. Under the lunch table her hands were balled into fists, nails digging into her palms to the point of drawing blood.

She found herself doing this much more often recently, needing to shock herself out of the general sense of numbness that had overtaken her existence. She needed to know that it had all been real, that it hadn’t simply been a beautiful dream turned horrible nightmare; that she had found the love of her life, had fought for him, and then lost him.

Betty's eyes traveled to where Jughead sat alone on the other side of the cafeteria. He looked tired, the bags under his eyes more pronounced than usual. He had not spoken to her – had not even so much as _looked_ in her direction – since the night they broke up. Since the night he had walked away from her in the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm, leaving her devastated and alone. Broken.

The logical part of Betty’s brain knew that what Jughead had done was no better or worse than what she had done to him, sending Archie to break up with him for her during the Black Hood attacks. He was trying to keep her safe by pushing her away. The primary difference – in Betty’s mind and heart, at least – was that she had done it always with the intention that they would eventually reconcile. But Jughead had made it clear that he meant for this split to be permanent – to make it _stick_. That was what hurt Betty the most – that he would give up on them so easily.

Betty replayed the night that he had first told her he loved her over and over again in her mind. His face had been so open and sincere, his eyes filled with such a genuine depth of emotion. It made her heart ache to think about how hard that must have been for him - to make himself vulnerable. She thought about the way he had kissed her, softly at first and then with so much intensity it took her breath away. The way he had lifted her up and hoisted her onto the kitchen counter so he could step between her legs, rip her shirt off, and ravage her with his lips, tongue, and teeth. The way her back had arched and her hips had instinctively rolled forward against his, her body so immediately responsive. The air in the trailer had practically crackled with electricity, the chemistry between them palpable. Betty didn’t understand how someone - how _anyone_ \- could just walk away from that.

She would have given herself to him that night, without question, had it not been for the Serpents’ unexpected visit. She had not been thrilled about his decision to join them, but she knew it was something he needed. With FP having been in prison at the time and the entire population of Riverdale treating him like a pariah, Jughead needed to feel like he wasn’t alone, like he had a family, somewhere he belonged.

She had tried to be supportive, to fit herself into that world, not wanting to make him choose. Her strip tease at the Whyte Wyrm was not something she ever would have done under normal circumstances, but she had done it for him, to demonstrate her commitment to him and to being an active part of his life with the Serpents. She had thought he would be happy – proud of her, even. But instead he was upset, upset enough to tell her to go home and never come back.

If you had asked her several weeks ago, Betty would have said that she and Jughead could have survived anything. That their commitment to each other and their bond was strong enough. This was perhaps the saddest thing of all - having to admit to herself that Romeo and Juliet didn’t live happily ever after, that love doesn’t always win. It had made her question everything she thought she knew, everything she believed.

“Hey! Betty! EARTH TO B!”

Veronica’s voice snapped her back to reality. Betty blinked. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“I asked what you’re wearing to my party on Friday,” Veronica repeated, twirling a strand of dark hair around her finger.

“Party?” Betty repeated, having missed the big announcement. A party sounded like precisely the last thing she needed to deal with right now. All she wanted was sweatpants, Ben & Jerry’s, and a stack of old movies. “I don’t know, I have a lot of homework…”

“Betty,” Veronica sighed. “Girl, you need this. I can’t stand seeing you wallow over this boy anymore.”

“I am not _wallowing_ ,” Betty muttered indignantly.

“You _so_ are,” stated Cheryl, who was filing her blood red nails into sharp points. Kevin gave her a sympathetic look but nodded in agreement.

Betty sighed, knowing she had no chance of getting out of it when she was up against the three of them. “Fine.”

“It will be fun, I promise,” Veronica said brightly. “You can borrow something from my closet. I’ll even have someone from Chez Salon come do hair and makeup for us!”

Betty thought about it, then gave her a small reluctant smile. “Okay, that doesn’t sound terrible.”

“Yay!” Veronica clapped happily.

Betty’s eyes drifted back to where Jughead had been sitting. He was no longer there. Would he be at the party on Friday? She doubted it; he hated parties. She wasn’t sure whether that made her feel relieved or disappointed.

 _Oh well_ , she thought dryly. It’s not like a party could make things worse than they already were.

\--

Toni Topaz rummaged through her locker at Riverdale High in search of her History textbook. As she did a pack of hulking football players passed by, laughing and goofing around and knocking into her.

“Watch where the fuck you’re going,” she spat, while one of them called a “Sorry, my bad!” over his shoulder.

Toni rolled her eyes. Sure, Southside High hadn’t exactly been a cake walk. But she wasn’t sure she could realistically make it to graduation without straight up murdering one of these shiny, happy idiots.

She slammed her locker shut and was surprised to find someone leaning casually behind it. It was the stuck up rich bitch, Veronica Lodge. She was wearing a black dress with an embellished collar, black tights and heeled booties, with an expensive looking designer bag draped over her arm. Every inch of her screamed money, entitlement, privilege.

“Snake,” Veronica greeted her impassively.

“Princess,” Toni replied equally as coolly.

They stood there for a minute, squared off and sizing each other up. The dark-haired girl didn’t back down despite her best evil glare, which Toni reluctantly had to admit gained her some respect.

“I have a proposition for you,” Veronica stated, very businesslike.

Toni raised a pierced eyebrow.

Veronica continued. “Our best friends are miserable. I don’t know about you, but seeing both of them mope around constantly is seriously harshing my vibe. I was thinking maybe we could join forces and do something about it.”

Toni considered the offer. She had not been a huge fan of Betty at first, writing her off as basic. But she had gotten to know her better since then, and she had to admit… Blondie had some balls.

Betty was trying to fit herself into Jughead’s life with the Serpents rather than trying to change him, which earned her points in Toni’s book. And, most importantly, Toni was sick of seeing her friend mope around like a pathetic lovesick puppy.

“Alright,” Toni said, matching Veronica’s stance and leaning against her locker, arms crossed over her leather jacket. “I’m in. What’s the plan?”

Veronica grinned. “Just make sure you get him to my place on Friday. I’ll take care of the rest.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now... It's time for the party!
> 
> What could possibly go wrong? ;-)

Jughead cut school early on Friday.

He lay sprawled out on the couch in the trailer wearing only a pair of boxers and a grey _S_ t-shirt. His hair was greasy from not having been washed in several days, and several fairly large chunks of it stuck up at bizarre angles.  Every surface of the living room was littered with pizza boxes and empty takeout containers.

The film _Coffee and Cigarettes_ was playing on the TV, which was turned as it often was to the Independent Film Channel. It was Jughead’s favorite scene – the one where Tom Waits and Iggy Pop drink coffee together at a diner.

He heard the door to the trailer open but remained on the couch, assuming it was FP. So it would have been an understatement to say he was surprised when a girl appeared in his living room.

Jughead jumped, grabbing an old throw pillow and placing it over his exposed crotch. “Jesus. Knock much?”

Toni moved forward to enter but then backed up as if she had hit an invisible wall. She made a disgusted face. “God, it is _rank_ in here. Open a window or something.”

“Nice to see you too,” Jughead muttered, adjusting himself to an upright seated position but leaving the pillow in his lap.

Toni’s pink ombre hair was curled today, flowing down to her waist in waves. She wore a black mini dress over ripped tights, black motorcycle boots, and her leather Serpents jacket.

Jughead wasn’t used to seeing her so done up. It honestly weirded him out a little. “So, why are you… Uh…” He gestured to her outfit. “This?”

Toni flopped down next to him on the couch. “Get dressed. We’re going to Veronica Lodge’s party.”

He looked at her like she had lost her mind. “You hate parties.”

Toni shrugged. “Joaquin and Sweet Pea are going. Besides, I thought it would be a good way to meet people.”

“You hate people.”

She sighed. “Please, J? I’m bored. There’s nothing to do in our shitty little town and I need a wingman.”

Jughead didn’t say anything, but rather just looked at her with an expression that said very clearly he would rather rip off his own fingernails.

“Look, I’ll owe you one. Please? Just for an hour.”

Still he said nothing.

“What else are you going to do tonight?” Toni demanded, spreading her arms wide and gesturing across the trailer’s living room. “Lay around in your boxers, mooning over Betty and sad masturbating to this pretentious intellectual white male bullshit?” She tipped her head towards the TV.

This finally gained her a reaction. Jughead gasped at her in mock affront. “I’ll have you know Jim Jarmusch is a master of independent cinema!”

Toni rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Now go shower,” she ordered, shoving him towards the bathroom. “You stink.”

“Alright, I’m going,” he grumbled.

“And for god’s sake, put some pants on!” Toni called after him while she sat back and flipped through a magazine on the coffee table.

\--

Betty went to Veronica’s directly after school on Friday, as promised. She now stood facing Veronica’s enormous walk in closet, which was literally bigger than her entire bedroom. It was overwhelming, to say the least. Luckily, everything was meticulously organized based on style, fabric, and color. She and Veronica were also roughly the same size, which made things easier.

Betty stopped to admire a classic fit and flare dress in a neutral shade of blush. It had a white peter pan collar with small embroidered beads that looked like pearls.

“ _No_ ,” Veronica slapped her hand away. “Absolutely no pink. Or cream. Or grey. Or pastels. You need a power color.” She sorted through the racks until she finally cried a triumphant, “Aha!”

“Try this.” She held the hanger out to Betty.

It was black, and lacey; more like a piece of lingerie than a dress. “I don’t know, V…”

“Put. It. On.” Veronica commanded, playfully pushing her towards the bathroom.

When Betty exited wearing the dress several minutes later, Veronica’s lips curved into a devious smirk. “It’s _perfect_.”

Betty examined herself in the full-length mirror. Mercifully, the dress looked more scandalous on the hanger than it did on her body. It wasn’t see through _– thank god_. And it did flatter Betty’s figure, hugging her curves in all the right places. It hit several inches above the knee, just enough to show off her long legs. The bodice had some boning in it, which meant she didn’t have to wear bra. The neckline was low cut and trimmed with delicate black lace – just enough to call attention to her cleavage without revealing too much.

“Add these,” Veronica instructed, handing her a pair of black platform stiletto heels with red bottoms.

Betty’s eyes widened. “Oh my god. Are those…?”

“Yes.” Veronica waved her hand dismissively. “You can keep them, I have like three pairs. Now put them on, I want to see!”

Betty slipped the heels on and wobbled unsteadily. “I’m not sure if I can walk in these...”

“Good thing you have an hour to practice."

There was a knock on the door, and Kevin entered the room with a flourish. “I am having a fashion crisis,” he announced dramatically, holding up two button down shirts for Veronica to inspect. “Stripes, or no stripes?”

She considered them both before answering. “No stripes. You need a blank canvas to showcase your amazing bone structure and those gorgeous eyes.”

Kevin smirked and made a _no, stop it!_ gesture with his hand. His eyes lit up in surprise when he turned and looked at Betty.

“ _Oh my god_. You look so _slutty_!” he exclaimed, and she frowned before realizing he meant it as a compliment. “Sexy,” he amended, in a _my sweet little baby is all grown up_ kind of voice. “You should definitely wear this outfit tonight. That dress is _hot_ on you!”

“Yeah, because the last time I tried to be _sexy_ it worked out _so well_ …” Betty’s cheeks still burned at the memory of her strip tease. “I totally humiliated myself.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow. “That’s not what _I_ heard…”

“What do you mean…?” Betty’s pulse quickened.

“ _Well…_ ” Kevin drew out the _L_. “Joaquin said that every man - _and_ some of the women - in that bar had their tongues on the ground during your performance, including a certain dark and brooding beanie wearing individual…”

Betty’s heart was in her throat now. _But if that were true… why had Jughead reacted so badly?_

She sat on the bed, huffing in frustration. “Well, he broke up with me immediately afterward, so… He can’t have enjoyed it that much.”

Veronica sighed. “Betty, don’t try to make sense of it. Boys are dumb.”

“It’s true,” Kevin nodded in agreement. “Y’all heteros have got some serious issues.” Then he smiled cheerfully and said, “Good luck with that!” before jumping up to kiss both Betty and Veronica on the cheek. “I told Joaquin I would pick him up. See you Vixens tonight!”

Betty spent the first half of the party helping Veronica play hostess, which largely entailed organizing snack trays and refilling drinks for people. She managed to get away with doing that for several hours before Veronica cornered her in the kitchen and threatened to drag her out by her hair if she didn’t voluntarily join the festivities.

Betty exited the kitchen to discover the party had already progressed passed the point of no return into total mayhem. Her eyes scanned the large room to find the ridiculous, alcohol-fueled scene unfolding before her like a modern Hieronymus Bosch painting; Archie wandering around aimlessly without a shirt and no shoes, Reggie Mantle passed out in a chair with a remarkably anatomically correct drawing of a penis sharpie’d onto his forehead, and Dilton Doiley puking into a house plant.

Kevin sat happily perched on Joaquin’s lap, both of them seemingly attempting to unhinge their jaws so they could devour each other’s faces… Nothing new there. But they weren’t the only couple who caught Betty’s eye.

 _Sweet Pea_ of all people was sitting on the couch next to Ethyl Muggs, who giggled and blushed as he shyly tucked a piece of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.

Then she saw Cheryl in a corner with Toni Topaz, and to her surprise the two of them looked… Well, _cozy_. At first she thought they were kissing, but then Betty watched as Toni took a hit off a joint and leaned forward to blow the smoke into Cheryl’s mouth seductively.

She blinked, deciding she would analyze what she had just seen later. If Joaquin, Sweet Pea, and Toni where here, then that meant…

Betty scanned over the crowd, searching until her eyes locked with the one pair that she would recognize anywhere.

Jughead.

Time slowed, in that strange and inexplicable way it always did somehow when they looked at each other. Like they were the only two people who existed in the world, like no one else mattered.

Jughead’s gaze traveled over her body, tracing every curve, down her legs, lingering on the heels, and then snapping back up to her eyes.

He had not looked at her quite in that way since the night in his kitchen, and Betty sensed a familiar flush creeping over her chest, below her waist, all the way down to her toes. She felt a sudden and violent urge to touch him.

They each took a step toward each other at the same moment. Then there was the sound of glass breaking, and it seemed to snap them both out of whatever spell they had been under. Jughead tensed, jaw clenching and fists balled up at his sides. He turned abruptly and hightailed it in the opposite direction.

Betty exhaled a shaky breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding. _What in the hell had just happened_?

\--

Toni found Jughead leaning against the wall, nursing a beer and looking miserable. She took in his intense scowl and said, “You know, it’s really shocking to me that you don’t have more wrinkles.”

“Is this why you brought me here? To torture me?” Toni followed his gaze to where Betty was talking with several members of the football team.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity for you and blondie to patch things up.”

Jughead took a long swig of the disgusting, warm beer he was drinking. “Yeah, well. She seems _preoccupied_ at the moment.”

Toni smirked. “Really? ‘Cause earlier it looked to me like she wanted to talk to you, but the moment you saw her you ran away like a little bitch.”

“You know, you really should consider a career as a motivational speaker.”

Their banter ended abruptly when Chuck Clayton appeared behind Betty, wrapping his arms around her waist suggestively and very much without an invitation. Toni’s eyes narrowed. Jughead visibly stiffened.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but the sight of Chuck putting his hands on Betty made Jughead feel positively murderous. He needed to keep his shit together. _She’s not yours anymore_ , he told himself sternly. _It’s none of your business. Leave it._

And maybe he could have left it, if it had seemed like something Betty wanted. But the rigid way she was holding her body, her expression clearly one of severe discomfort, made him more upset than anything.

“No, Chuck. Stop it.” Betty tried to free herself, but Chuck’s arms only tightened.

“Come on, baby. Don’t be a tease. You’re practically begging me for it, dressed like that.”

“Fuck this,” Jughead muttered angrily, slamming his beer bottle down and stalking over to where Betty was attempting to squirm away from Chuck.

“Shit,” Toni sighed. “Here we go.” She nodded to Joaquin and Sweet Pea and the three of them followed behind Jughead, forming rank.

 “She said no, Chuck. Leave her alone.” Jughead sounded much braver than he felt. Chuck had a good four or five inches on him, and he was built like a fortress.

Betty’s eyes widened when she saw him approach. Luckily, it distracted Chuck long enough that she was able to wrench herself out of his grip.

Chuck, meanwhile, had already forgotten about her. He was now sauntering towards Jughead, flashing that trademark cocky smile, raring for a fight. “I don’t think this concerns you, freak. Why don’t you run along back to the trailer park?”

There was a loud _crack_ as Jughead’s fist made contact with Chuck’s jaw. Before he even had time to rejoice in his small victory Chuck was coming back at him, right hook hitting Jughead square in the eye. It sent him reeling backwards, crashing into a table and knocking over a porcelain vase that fell to the floor and shattered.

People screamed and dispersed, but Jughead was already back up on his feet. He shoved Chuck hard in the chest, and when he fell backwards onto the floor Jughead knelt down over him, ramming his knuckles into Chuck’s face repeatedly until he heard a satisfying _crunch_.

Then there were hands grabbing at his jacket, yanking him harshly backwards, and he realized in a sort of daze that _Betty_ was the one manhandling him. _When did she get so strong?_

“Outside, _now_ ,” she ordered, shoving him towards the balcony.

They passed by Joaquin and Sweet Pea holding Chuck with both arms behind his back, and Jughead noted with some satisfaction that Chuck had what looked like a broken nose and a fair amount of blood in his teeth.

The cool night air hit him like a frigid, sobering wall as he stepped out onto the balcony, Betty trailing on his heels.

“What the hell was that?” she demanded.

Walking until he reached the edge, Jughead placed both hands on the rail. He stared obstinately out over the balcony, not ready to face her yet.

“Hey,” Betty grabbed his arm, “Jughead, _look_ at me.” He did, and immediately regretted it. It was the first time he’d allowed himself to look directly at her in weeks, and her face looked angrier than he’d ever seen it.

“What the hell?” she repeated.

“You’re welcome,” he gritted out. The adrenaline from the fight had settled and his eye was starting to throb painfully.

“What, I’m supposed to _thank_ you?” Betty scoffed. “You had no right to do what you did. _None_.”

“I know.”

“What I do is no longer any of your business.”

“I know.”

“You should have stayed out of it.”

“I _know_ , Betty. Alright? I fucked up. Is that what you want to hear?”

He didn’t realize he had been shouting until he heard how his voice echoed in the quiet stillness. A long uncomfortable silence stretched between them, and Betty wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

All Jughead wanted in that moment was to replace her arms with his own, to tell her he was sorry, to pull her close and never let go of her.

Instead he remained motionless, and said nothing.

“So why did you do it?” she asked, sounding like she genuinely wanted to know.

Jughead sighed, exhaling sharply through his nose. “If you think I’m going to stand there and watch while some asshole does that to you…” His fingers flexed and gripped the railing, knuckles turning white against the strain. “Just because I… Because we’re not… Doesn’t mean that I don’t…”

He was being sincere, struggling to get the words out, but Betty’s sharp tone held no sympathy. “Wow, I had no idea you cared so much. Seeing as it was so easy for you to toss me aside like a piece of garbage.”

His eyes snapped up to hers, suddenly furious. “Easy? Nothing about any of this has been _easy_.”

“Then why?”

Jughead sighed. The reasons were becoming more and more tiresome, even to his own ears. “I told you; because it’s dangerous for you to be around me. I had to keep you safe.”

“Safe,” Betty repeated flatly. The she shook her head, incredulous. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

She took a shaky breath, then continued. “When you broke up with me, I didn’t just lose my boyfriend. You were my _best friend_. My person. And now it’s like I don’t even exist, like I mean nothing to you.”

“That’s not true,” he said, the sadness and longing in his chest aching painfully. She was his person, too _._

“Then _why_?” she asked, for the second time.

“I needed to protect you.”

“From the Serpents?” Betty made a frustrated sound. “I already told you, I don’t care about that.”

“It’s not just the Serpents.”

“Then _what_?” she demanded, her voice high and growing increasingly more hysterical. “What, exactly, are you protecting me from, Jughead?”

“From _me_ ,” he shouted, slamming his fist down into the railing. Betty jumped slightly at the impact but didn’t move from where she was standing.

Jughead squeezed his eyes shut, breathing deeply, trying to calm himself. He ran a hand through his hair and swore. “Betty, I know you have this romantic fantasy of star-crossed lovers living happily ever after, but that’s not the real world. That’s not how life works.”

“I’m not good for you.” He looked directly into her eyes so she could see that this was important, that he was serious. “I’m not good for anyone. At the end of the day, no matter how much I try to be better, I’m always going to be what I am. A kid from the wrong side of the tracks. The son of an alcoholic. A gang member. A low life. Dangerous.”

“I don’t care.”

“You _should_ care,” he said angrily. But he could see from the look on Betty’s face, the stubborn set of her jaw, that she was beyond hearing reason.

 “How exactly did you see this playing out?” Jughead demanded, voice bitter. “Betty Cooper, America’s sweetheart, the fucking _prom queen_ is going to marry a Serpent and live in the _trailer park_? Grow up, Betty. This would never have worked. I’m doing both of us a favor.”

He could see immediately that he had gone too far. Betty’s green eyes flashed with hurt and then snapped with fury. The next words she spoke were cold and venomous. “What scares you more, Jughead - The possibility that you might turn out exactly like your father? Or that I might turn out exactly like your mother, and leave you?”

The words were out before she could stop them. The blow landed, and Jughead recoiled back from her as if he’d been slapped. Then suddenly he was surging forward, forcing her backwards until she was flush up against the balcony’s brick wall, his arms on either side of her head, trapping her.

They were eye to eye, nose to nose, both of them breathing heavily, their lips just a fraction apart. From the wild look in Betty’s eyes it was hard to tell whether she was going to kiss him or hit him, and some dark, twisted part of him wanted her to do both.

Instead she placed her trembling hands on either side of his face. He tried to wrench himself away, but she held him there, forcing him to meet her gaze. “I don’t care what you are,” she told him fiercely. “Because I know _who_ you are, Jughead. And no matter _where_ you are, that’s where I want to be. I love you.”

They were the words he most wanted to hear, and also the words which had the power to utterly destroy him. The pain in his chest was unbearable now; his throat felt tight, his eyes burned. He felt the panic rising, his breath coming out in short staccato bursts.

So, he did what he always did when the pain was too great, when he felt too much. He retreated to a place deep inside of himself where nothing and no one could hurt him.

“You can’t,” he said, voice as dead and hollow as he felt. “You have to forget about me.”

Betty shook her head. “It’s too late,” she told him simply. “I made my choice. I chose you. I still choose you, despite everything.”

“It is too late for me, but not for you.” Jughead pushed himself from the wall, backing away from her as much was possible in the small space. Then he turned his back to her. “This is the way it has to be. Stay away from me, Betty.”

Another horrible silence fell between them, the only sound from cars on the street below, crickets chirping, and Betty’s shaky, uneven breaths. He knew she was crying, and the sound made him want to crawl inside a hole forever and die inside of it. He heard her take several steps toward him, but she didn’t approach.

“I know you think you’re protecting me,” she said quietly. “But that’s not the only reason you’re doing this… You’re scared, Jug. Scared that this might actually work, and then you’ll have something to lose. And I understand why that scares you…” Her voice cracked, and she sniffled. “But if you decide to let that fear run your life, to not stand up and fight for this – for _us_ – when it’s something so clearly worth fighting for, then you’re the one who’s going to have to live with that decision.”

She took several more steps. He heard the sliding door to the balcony open, and then close. She was gone; and this time he was the one left standing there, alone and broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sincerely, thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to give a kudos, create a bookmark, or write a review. It means so much and it really makes my day <3


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